There was a Gorilla with a Jetpack.

That was my first experience to ‘Race To Adventure: The spirit of the century – exploration game‘. It was a cartoon steampunk affair on the cover art for a new Boardgame and it was the fastest way to get my attention. A Gorilla with a Jetpack; need I say more ? Well I feel I probably should if only because I had promised the chaps at Evil Hat Productions for a write up.

You can watch the accompanying YouTube video which explains the game play mechanics far better than any attempt on my part to describe them which leaves me the space to say.

This is a perfect short format ,quick play ,game that utilises a moving ‘first turn’ mechanic which changes the choices available to each player as the round plays out. Sometimes the very thing you need to complete an objective will be in the hands of your competitors and other times you will be aiding them in their movements and the race to complete the tasks and return to the Century Club before you. It is a simple enough board game with a fast playing rule set that allows for a certain amount of strategy and guile and frustration. A Varying level of difficulty level is available by using the other side of each tile but I suspect every player will soon have their preferred tactics in approaching the game. This is the game for after lunch with the family or whilst your waiting for the last few turns in Rex Imperium sitting as it does somewhere between a casual game and Carcassonne.

Go buy it if only because of the Gorilla in the Jetpack.

Following up this review with a mention that Evil Hat Productions are promoting a ‘Street Teams‘ concept encouraging fans of their works to get out there and promote and share their games and materials. Before there was Social Media this was mechanism often used by Record Companies to get Fans to promote their bands; there is something viscerally pleasant about this idea existing in Boardgames if only because it may introduce me to new systems and games.